The present invention relates to a combined sheet compressor and transfer device for attachment to spaced prongs of a file folder fastener which extend through perforations in a stack of sheets in a file folder.
By way of background, file folders often mount spaced prongs which extend through perforations in a stack of sheets to hold them in assembled relationship. However, it is often required to remove the top sheets from the stack, transfer other sheets to or from the middle of the stack and thereafter replace the removed sheets. One example is to remove a sheet from the middle of the stack for copying purposes and thereafter return it to its position in the stack. In the past, a rigid U-shaped device having tubular end portions was used as a transfer device. The tubular end portions were temporarily mounted on the ends of specially preformed prongs, and upper sheets from the stack were transferred onto the U-shaped device, which was then removed from the prongs with the upper sheets mounted thereon. Thereafter, middle sheets could be added to or removed from the remaining sheets of the stack. The tubular end portions of the U-shaped device with the upper sheets thereon could then be reinstalled on the prongs, and the upper sheets could be transferred from the device to the prongs. The foregoing prior art rigid U-shaped device could only be used with prongs which were specially preformed to be received in its tubular end portions; it could not be used with the prongs of a standard file fastener. Furthermore, the prior art device provided only the transferring function. It did not provide a compressor function, nor did it have any arrangement for securing it to the file folder. Additionally, the sheets which were transferred thereto had to be manually supported during the transfer process.